When the big game is on but you have to head out and away fro the TV, staying on top of the action while you're away from the big screen has never been easier. There are several mobile apps and services that will make sure you never miss a big score and let you cheer your favorite team on even when you're not watching the game. Here's a look at five of the most popular, based on reader nominations.

Earlier in the week, we asked you which apps or services you used on the go to stay on top of your favorite games and matchups, whether you just wanted to know the score or you were interested in a play-by-play. You responded, and now we're back to highlight the top five. Photo by Audrey Pilato.

The Yahoo! Sportacular mobile app lets you keep set up watch lists of your favorite teams and players so you can stay on top of their performance when you're on the go. Whether you're working late or have to miss a game because of another appointment, you'll be able to track the scores and the get alerts for scoring plays and tight-score situations in real time just by firing up the app. Sportacular lets you check in to events, and offers coverage of major league and college sports in the United States, and multiple major futbol leagues in Europe.

With support for major leagues in the US, auto racing, MMA, futbol in European leagues, tennis, and even Cricket, ScoreMobile bills itself as the best sports app ever. The app also supports live push notifications when the tide of a game changes, a team scores, or another major game-changing event takes place. If you're a soccer fan in the US or a futbol fan anywhere else in the world, ScoreMobile FC tracks over 60 leagues and teams in over 20 countries. Plus, the app has tablet-specific apps for the iPad, Android Honeycomb tablets, and Windows slates.

Brought to you by the most well-known name in broadcast sports, ESPN Scorecenter brings you play-by-play events and scores in almost every major sport worldwide, including American major league sports, tennis, cricket, and hundreds of national and international soccer leagues and tournaments. In addition to comprehensive coverage, you can also create personalized scoreboards and get live game details, like the last play and the last scoring play. You can set up push-alerts for scores and games involving your favorite teams. Of course, since the app was built by ESPN, you can expect video clips and other in-depth game analysis from ESPN anchors and experts.

SportsTap comes in the form of a mobile site and mobile apps for iOS and Android devices. All platforms give you direct access to game scores, team standings, player information, and more for almost every major American sports league and then some, including futbol and tennis. Like many of the other apps, you can set up push notifications for important events, and in the Android app you can set up a homescreen widget to stay informed just by glancing at your phone.

A number of you pointed out that if you're really interested in a play-by-play with behind the scenes action, all you have to do is follow the right Twitter accounts. Whether it's the official accounts of the teams that you love, or some of the players on those teams, sometimes following the right Twitter account is the difference between getting the official account of the game and what's really being said on the sidelines.

Now that you've seen the top five, it's time to vote for an all out winner.

Honorable mentions this week go to the NFL ‘11 mobile app, which a number of you noted is the perfect way to stay on top of your favorite games, players, and scores now that American football season is in full swing. Some of you also mentioned that Google had a good thing going with Google Scoreboard, which was a great sports tracker for Android, but Google neglected it, and then eventually pulled it from the Android Market. Unfortunately it's no longer available, which means we can't include it in the roundup.

Do you have a favorite sports app that didn't make it into the roundup? Have something to say in defense of one of the contenders? Have your say in the comments.